
St. Louis, MO - Cori Bush has been declared the winner in the race for Missouri's 1st Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
The race was called by AP less than three hours after polls closed, and by midnight Bush held a commanding lead with 79% of the vote.
Bush is a former nurse and activist from St. Louis who's popularity has grown since the civil unrest that began in Ferguson after the shooting death of Michael Brown in 2014.
She first defeated 10-term incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay in the August primary and was the strong favorite to win the November election.
Bush caused a stir on social in recent weeks after tweeting about her plan to "defund the Pentgon" if she's elected to U.S. Congress.
She responded on Twitter to President Donald Trump, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and others who have been bashing her idea, saying "at least 3 generations of my family have served this country in the military."
"As a Black woman running for office, I’m used to these kinds of attacks," Bush stated. "Yes I want to change our priorities. We can fund Medicare for All, guarantee housing, and enact a Green New Deal. We can make sure no veteran goes unhoused or without care. We can have a government that actually works for us."
Bush defeated Anthony Rogers and Alex Furman.